


Vector

by dummiE3M



Series: Altered [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Short, pilot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:34:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24162931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dummiE3M/pseuds/dummiE3M
Summary: Hardships often clarify a path to one's soul.The balance could not be reached with sides, and the Universe is not in Black and White.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker/Ahsoka Tano
Series: Altered [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1759378
Comments: 8
Kudos: 59





	Vector

**STAR WARS**

* * *

* * *

_**VECTOR** _

* * *

* * *

* * *

“I won’t return.” Anakin’s eyes widen in shock as Ahsoka said the sentence he has dread for since this whole fiasco has started. Padawan Tano, as she’s been called for so long, stood proudly with chin jutting forwards as if to dare the Jedi Council to defile her decision.

“Snips..”

“Stop, master,” Ahsoka whipped her head towards her-soon to be ex-master who stood at her side, literally and figuratively through thick and thin “if there is any lesson that I’ve learned from these past few days is that; my place isn’t among the Jedi anymore.” She said, lumps formed in her throat as the expression she saw from Anakin’s sharp and handsome face is that of a heartbroken and angry man.

Ahsoka look around the atrium which stood various ranked members of the Order of Jedi; knights, masters, and at the center of them all, grandmaster Yoda. The tiny green-skinned creature gazes upon her with a conflict of emotions that she could not pick, he taps his cane onto the platform three times, clear and loud in the quiet chamber.

“A decision you’ve made that is, young Tano?” His inquiry laced no pleading nor empathy, such as the way ideal Jedi should have been.

“Yes.” Ahsoka straightens her back again, her head-tails swayed a little due to the movement.

“Very well,” The Grandmaster’s tone of voice changed into a deep and authorizes tone as he clears his throat “Ahsoka Tano of Shili, step forward.”

Ahsoka did it.

“I hereby denouncing you from the rank of Padawan, a member of the Order, and path of the Jedi.” He lit his plasma blade, shining an intense light of green to every surface. Yoda glided from his stand and landed in front of Ahsoka “Kneel you have to, young Tano.”

Ahsoka willingly lowered herself on one knee and keeping her head low, Anakin could only stand in disbelief at his spot.

“Not one of us, now you are.” Yoda said with a slight shrink in his voice as he tugged the Padawan beads from her montrals. “On your feet.”

The Togruta slowly rising, taking a deep breath as if she is being born anew; derived of responsibility of a _supposed_ peacekeeper of the Republic that recently gaining quite a hold in the senate. Her eyes fall upon familiar faces; master Jaro Tapal, a Lasat Jedi with exceptional talents with double-bladed lightsaber. Master Shaak-Ti, who is looking at her with a tiny smile and a little nod of respect. Master Kenobi, who gave no expression away and just keep rubbing his bearded chin as usual, but his eyes betrayed his concerns and worries about what she’d just done.

And Anakin.

Oh, how he’s hurt.

How just looking at her direction makes him clenched his fists tightly until it draws blood and the mechanism of his bionic groans.

‘ _Anakin_...’

‘… _why_?’ his telepath came with intense emotion that ripples across their bond.

‘ _There is no place here for me_ ,’ she said through the tether that linked the two of them ‘ _I need to go, to learn more_.’

‘ _I’m your master_!’ his anger vibrates their Force-bond so much that it gives Ahsoka dizziness and makes Obi-wan glances at his former Padawan ‘ _I’ll teach you anything you want with all of my powers but please_ …’ Anakin’s anger dissipated quite substantially as he turns into pleading ‘… _stay_.’

Their eyes met, her big and blue gazes into his previously blue ones that are now gaining a slight shade of amber only for a span of a second and gone but it left a sour and strange taste in her mouth.

“Return the sabers, now you will,” Yoda said and shot his three-fingered hand out towards her.

Ahsoka detached her sabers from the hip-belt, she stares at a set of weapons that saved lives more than she could count for last time before handing it to the Jedi Grandmaster.

Yoda, who is famous for his exceptional connection with the Force, controlling the flow of the Force with both of his hands and dissects the twin sabers down to their Kyber crystals.

“Belongs to you, these crystals,” Yoda said with a slight little bit of lament laced within his voice and hurled the pair of emerald-like crystals slowly through the space between them, they landed softly on her palms. “With you, may the Force be.” With that Yoda bowed to her a little and levitates himself up to his usual spot.

…

“It is a great loss for the Jedi, Ahsoka,” Shaak-Ti said while caressing the valley between her montrals with a motherly touch.

“I bet.” The younger Togruta replied while giving a tiny smirk with watery eyes.

“What will you do?”

“Dunno yet. Might hop on some ship and go wherever it takes me, like our ancestors.”

“The Wanderers.” Shaak-Ti mumbled and finished her consoling on Ahsoka. “Soon?”

“Not sure, but I’ll see you before depart.”

“I’ll appreciate it, Ahsoka.” They touched the tips of their horns with each other as a goodbye.

“Teenagers and their tendency to rush decisions.” The playful-snarky monotonous verbal jab from Obi-Wan came from behind and Ahsoka snorted as a reply to that before turning to meet him.

“Master Kenobi.” She greeted but Obi-Wan waved his hand dismissively in front of himself while blowing his lips playfully.

“You’re not a Padawan anymore, Ahsoka, you can call me Obi-Wan.” He said and sat down on a bench beside her, looking out at the horizon of Coruscant which the sun is starting to set. “You sure about this?”

“More than anything I’ve ever done in my life.”

“Then that’s all I wanted to hear.” Obi-Wan places his hand on her shoulder, squeezes it reassuringly “But don’t be a stranger.”

“Don’t intend to, mas—” she caught his quirked eyebrows and correcting herself “…Obi-Wan.”

“Good, good…” Obi-Wan trailed off and searches for something inside his pouch “I’ve always wanted to give you this when you pass Anakin’s training.” He shows her a package.

“What is this?” Ahsoka took it with curiosity and excitement.

“Materials and accessories for crafting your new saber.”

“But—”

“The whole galaxy is at war, Ahsoka.” Obi-Wan said in seriousness “At least I will be sleeping soundly knowing you are not helpless out there.” He projected his trademark kind smile at her.

“Thank you.” Ahsoka whimpered out and hug him tightly from the side, Obi-Wan reluctantly returns her embrace and lightly patting her back.

“Whatever you do, wherever you may go, remember; you are a shield for the innocents and a blade of justice. Not officially being a Jedi did not bar you from helping others in need. May the Force guide you.”

They sat with each other for a while then Obi-Wan stood and left.

Ahsoka sighed heavily and buried her face in her palms, recalling all things that occurred for these past few days. She still could not believe Offee has betrayed her trust and stab her in the back like that. Has it not for Anakin’s help…

Speaking of which, he suddenly appears in front of her, walks towards her from his speeder with abrupt and impatient steps. He dressed in his usual garb, his lightsaber hung at the hook on his belt, and his sleeves been rolled up to his elbows exposing his right bionic arm, courtesy of the duel with Count Dooku. His brunette cascaded down on top of his shoulder blades and sways lazily from the low breeze of the Core World. His eyes are sharp and hard, gazes upon her petite frame with the intensity that is threatening to suffocates her.

Ahsoka slowly rises against him, a foot of space between them as silence falls upon both.

Not a word has been spoken between the two for a while.

Ahsoka never lift her eyes to met his and now felt smaller than ever in his presence, their height differential is prominent when Ahsoka is slouching like this.

“You know how much time and effort I’ve used to help to clear your name…Ahsoka Tano.” Her full name that came out of his mouth left a grimace on her face, Anakin never uses this kind of address anymore since her first assignment.

“Anakin…” her voice came soft and retreated, still looking at the floor.

“I was about to nominate you to knighthood.” He said with a chilled and icy tone, his eyes never left the valley of her montrals and his fists never loosen.

“The Jedi’s path is wrong…could you believe they are willing to execute me on just an accusation?”

“Of course, I couldn’t!” Anakin nearly shouted, but his boiling anger has been subsided by the proximity of their bond, as always “That’s why I did what I did, Ahsoka. I stood against them, I have faith in you and I’ll always be.” He braves a hand, fleshly one, of his to enveloping hers. Ahsoka jolts a little as electricity courses through her body at the contact.

Since she has known him, she thought he was having an affair with senator Amidala. But one day after a battle on Scarif, Anakin told her that they are just a long time friend. Admittedly, she has a teeny, tiny, little, small crush on him since the second day of being his Padawan, Togruta’s hormones, and all that.

His fingers brush her knuckles and holding it tight, surging all of the things she can and can’t understand within his wide range of emotions.

“But I can’t win this war without you by my side.” His pleading tone mixed with his clear-blue eyes almost breaking her resolve.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ahsoka reaches her other hand toward his towering form and rest it on the side of his cheek, something she always wanted to do but has to restraint for so long, until now. “You’re Anakin Skywalker, you’re the Chosen One. You’ll bring peace and balance back to the Force.” Her caresses seem to calm not only his nerve but his very soul.

Anakin leaned into her touch involuntarily and out of the depth he never intends to reach again inside his core. Instinctively, his bionic hand reaches one of her head-tails and caressing it softly and feathery, almost like a lover’s touch. Ahsoka purred and her pupils dilated automatically while her grip on his hand tightens.

“Stop.” She said short and commanding, stood from her spot beside him, and pacing slowly.

“I’m sorry about that, just…heat of the moment I guess?”

“Right…” Ahsoka complied and looking anywhere but the nervous Jedi Knight on the bench.

“Anyway,” Anakin clears his throat and stands up, straighten his wrinkled robe by Ahsoka’s clenched fist from their heated encounter earlier.

“Before you say anything, Anakin, I’m not going back. I’ve made a decision and I expect you to accept that.” She said with all the confidences she can muster despite how flustered she is now; her cheeks gained a slightly darker shade of orange.

“...Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“Not one bit, I assume.” The Togruta got a little smirk on the corner of her lips.

“So,” Anakin said after he leaned his elbows on the railing beside her, looking at the dying light of the Sol at the far horizon, and how it plays on her face mesmerizingly “what’s next?”

Ahsoka, who is still not looking at Anakin’s face, chuckled out nervously at the question “Don’t really know yet, maybe I will just lie low for a day or two and see if there’s any ship going somewhere interesting.”

“Must be hard, with how the war is going.”

“Hard truth, that is.” Then the silence falls upon them again, just standing together and let the breeze of Coruscant grazes their skins.

“Rex asked about you, along with the rest of the platoon to be honest,” Anakin said and spin in his place to lean backward and looking at her.

“The bar?”

“Where else?” he shrugged.

…

There they are, the 501st platoon. Drinking and chatting very loudly as usual.

Ahsoka walks beside Anakin through the entrance and got cheered up as soon as one of the clones spotted her.

“Commander! Welcome!”

“To sixteenth!” Rex roared out as he makes a toast at her.

“Oh! I forgot that I turned sixteen!”

“For real?” Anakin quirked an eyebrow at her and make a face, Ahsoka boldly and playfully palmed him and push lightly.

Needless to say, they got wasted.

Rex and most of the boys splayed across the entire floor of Anakin’s apartment, with some exceptions that are just sitting on their asses and embracing the cruel hangover.

The owner of the place doesn’t fare so well either, he threw up for the third time already and keeping count.

The only one that doesn’t appear to be drunk is Ahsoka, higher metabolism of her species burned the alcohol off almost four times faster. So, now it is up to her to escort Anakin, literally dragging him by the legs, to his bedroom. She got in and threw him into the bed a bit harsher than required, and slouching herself on his chair with a heavy sigh.

“This is just…sad.” She mumbled as she looks around his quarter; simple greyish walls and not many decorations. A framed holograph of a woman, she remembered to be his mother Shmi, is set on the small desk above the set of speeders and star-fighters replicas. Looking at the stilled photons shows how pronounced the resemblances are for the two; hair color, the shape of ears, the kind eyes, and that smile.

In a showcase duraglass box is his old bionic, dented and worn from many hardships he has put it through in a span of just a year; missing screws, bent parts, damaged structures, broken wires. The housing case made of Bronzium with its trademark dirty-golden hue. The digits are not wholly there, the pinky and the index are missing with scorched marks at their bases, probably from blasters.

The snoring from the bed gains her attention, Ahsoka turns her head and cranes her neck to look at the source. Anakin Skywalker, an orphan from Tatooine, a former slave of the Hutt, the Chosen One from the forgotten prophecy, a fearsome General of the Clone Wars, the talented Jedi knight and a skilled duelist, her master, her friend, her…well, that’s just off the topic.

She sighed heavily, again, and slowly approaching the snoring figure on the cheap mattress. She sat down with her side facing his and her leg just brushing at his shoulder, she rakes her fingers through his curly brunette and adjusting them so that they won’t interrupt his sleep. Unclasps his lightsaber from his belt and placed it carefully on the nightstand, illuminated dimly by the lamp he has set there. Unlacing the straps on his bionic, which he wrapped it out of self-conscious, to let the cool air from the conditioner seeps in and cooling the computing components nice and not too hot.

She tucked a pillow under the nape of his neck and starts unlacing his Jedi robe down to his undershirt, folded it neatly, and placed it under his lightsaber. Next, she got the boots off and tosses them on the floor, surprisingly he is too wasted to give a damn about that sound. Ahsoka sits in quiet again, listening to the sound of his breathing. Of his heartbeats, and just staring at his relaxing face when he’s falling deeper into the dreamland.

“I’m gonna miss you,” she whispered to herself, tracing the palm of her hand on his cheek lightly as if afraid to awaken him “a lot.” Her fingers lingered at his double-chin.

After a while, she lays down beside him, hugging his head to her abdomen and patting his head softly, playing with his curls.

“Goodnight, Skyguy.” She whispered again and planted a kiss on his temple.

A kiss that was more than a friend’s affection.

A kiss that conveyed more than simple care of a Padawan to her, officially former, master.

A kiss so meaningful that it left tears in its wage.

A kiss that strengthens their bond beyond normal.

A kiss, for a final goodbye.

…

“Anakin? Wake up.” Obi-Wan’s voice elicits a groan from the younger Jedi, whose shielding his eyes from the bright sunshine that seeps in through the window.

“Wha—” his voice came out hoarse and dry, just like how his larynx felt at the moment, and he looked up to see a glass of water in Obi-Wan’s extending hand.

“How many times do I have to tell you that you shouldn’t be drinking?” Obi-Wan said in jest and just pacing from the bed to the desk absentmindedly.

“Apparently not enough, ugh my head!” Anakin groaned painfully and clutching his temples with his hands.

“Obviously,” Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and shaking his head slightly, then turns to faces his apprentice “but enough for the banter. There is a report of the Separatist’s activities on Endor, the Senate ordered us to take a recon.” The Jedi master throws a bottle of painkiller at his friend/little brother “Take some and get a shower, I will be waiting at the ship with Rex and the crew.”

Anakin nods his head in defeat.

Anakin was about to finish lacing his Jedi robe when he caught sight of a folded parchment in the pocket. He took it and read, then smile a little and chuckled to himself before tugging it inside his shirt’s pocket, over where, rhetorically, his heart is located.

…

He hopped off the speeder and quickly jogged towards the hangar that the 501st platoon’s ship was docked.

“Finally, with half a minute to spare as always, my apprentice.” Obi-Wan playfully greeted him, Anakin takes it with a smug.

“Yeah, yeah. Shall we?” he turned to Rex for that inquiry.

“We’re almost fully loaded, general Skywalker.”

“Great,” Anakin beamed a little, looking as if searching for someone which he later recognizes is not going to be here anymore.

“So, I take it that things not going as planned?” Obi-Wan asked with pursed lips, but there is concern laced within his question that Anakin could notice.

“You and I both know that she has an iron will,” Anakin said in nonchalant mannerism, but a tinge of sadness never escape Obi-Wan’s sharp observation.

“She’ll be fine, Ani. You taught her well.”

“Thank you, master.” Anakin projected a sincere smile, one that is so rare to see these days.

“We are ready, general Kenobi.” The pilot reported.

“Set course for Endor, no detour this time.” He remarked playfully.

“Aye, aye.” The pilot punched a set of combination onto the Navi and then triggered a shield to cocooning the ship, readying for Hyperspace jump. “Course set, fuel on 98%, and the calculation are completed, sirs.” The pilot clone said and looking at the Jedis “On your mark.”

Kenobi looked at his side, saw Anakin stood very still with closed eyes and ripples in the Force.

‘ _Ahsoka?’_

_‘Yes?’_

_‘You are bad at writing a love letter.’_ He thought with a grin.

_‘It isn’t a lov—’_

_‘It is what it is, Snips, don’t deny it.’_

_‘I hate you, Skyguy.’_

_‘Keep telling yourself that.’_ He joked and the embarrassment seeps through the tether that tied them together.

_‘Be safe.’_ Ahsoka thought through their bond.

_‘Always.’_

Anakin opens his eyes again, and look back at Obi-Wan’s curious gaze. The younger Jedi nods a little to his master/friend.

“Seatbelts, everyone. Punch it.” Obi-Wan ordered and the pilot pulls the lever hard, triggers the Hyperdrive core.

The ship hums a familiar sound and stars on the black fabric of space being bent into streaks of light before the ship jumps into Hyperspace and disappeared.

**Author's Note:**

> Might making this into a decent-length story.


End file.
